Disclaimer: I don't own anything to do with Republic of Doyle. If I did, it would imply that I had probably met Allan Hawco which means I would have died of happiness and therefore I would not be here, writing this.

Rose watched as Jake downed his drink with sadness and some determination in his eyes. After a few moments, she saw him shake his head, straighten his shoulders and march out the door.

Rose turned to Malachy. "That's a fine son you got right there, I just hope he knows what he's doing."

"He does. He left us to pay his tab." He winked at Rose before clapping Des on the shoulder. "Well, B'y, I'm glad to have you back. We'll see you tomorrow." He and Rose walked out hand in hand, smiling at each other, ready to start their non- retirement.

Des smiled, glad to be back. "Thanks," he said as he watched them leave. He took a sip of his lime and lager (minus the lager) and then it hit him, they'd left him with the tab now.

Outside, Jake looked around in search of Leslie. Finally spotting her on the other side of the street, he hurried down the block and across the street to catch up with her.

"Leslie, wait."

She turned, positively fuming with her blond hair frizzing lightly in the fog. "Jake, are you trying to be funny?" She kept on walking, staring straight ahead.

Jake hurried backwards in front of her trying to talk and walk and not bump into anything. "Look, I don't know what you want me to do or what you want me to say. I know what I did was wrong but I also know did it for the right reasons. I stayed on the job for six months trying to get your job back and trying to make up for what I did."

"Jake, I want you to go away and let me find some semblance of what my life used to be. I will never forgive you for what you did. "

He stopped in front of her making it so that she had to stop to keep from crashing into him. "I don't want your forgiveness, I just want you."

She slapped him across the face. He got that look of "ow that really hurts" across his face that he got way too often in his line of work. It was one of his crazy quirks that she couldn't help but love.

"I'm not going to let you deny your feelings. I know they're still there. You can't tell me you don't feel anything." He pulled her to him, pouring the emotions of the past six months into a kiss that made her weak at the knees. "You can't tell me that that didn't make you feel anything." He kissed her again and she couldn't resist. She let herself lean into him, forgetting it all just for a moment. Eventually she pulled back, mentally kicking herself. "Jake, I can't."

"Yes, you can. We can. We can work through this together. It won't be easy but I know we will make it work.

"I'm better off on my own."

"You can't be alone forever, the kiss right now just proved that. I don't need to be forgiven, you need to forgive yourself. So you picked the wrong guy, it happens. You need to trust yourself, stop beating yourself up over the relationship and the whole fiasco, you deserve to be happy. Even if it really isn't with me, I'll get over it as long as I see you smiling that beautiful smile you have and the weight you are carrying on your shoulders is gone."

She looked into his piercing blue eyes. "You've grown up Jake, when did that happen?"

He shrugged. "A lot's happened."

"Yes."

"Ok." They stood there on the sidewalk, awkwardly close together but not touching and not saying anything at all. They felt the fog on their skin and watched as people slowly left the pub. Finally, Leslie shivered and spoke. "Yes."

"Yes?"

"Yes, I feel something and yes, I do want you. Yes, I know I deserve to be happy and yes, I should forgive myself. Yes, just yes, Jake."

He pulled her into his arms and held her tightly. She buried her face in his strong chest and thought about everything that had changed. A least that's what most of her brain was thinking, a little part of her tired brain made her smile at herself as she thought about the muscles that played under her fingers. He certainly had lots of time to work out this summer, for that I am glad. Patrons from the pub had stopped to watch them. They had heard the loud words earlier from the Sergeant and now waited, watching for the next bit of gossip.

"One step at a time Leslie and we've made it over the first step." He suggested they go up to his place and talk some more, catch up if nothing else, out of sight of the prying eyes. Of course, the gossip mill would still be fed after they saw her going up to his apartment, but that couldn't be helped, not here.

Jake unlocked his door and motioned for Leslie to entre. "After you."

"Jake, I just don't know when you turned into such a gentleman and a smart one at that." He flipped the lights on and she took in the disaster zone before her and turned to tease him. "And, I take it all back. I thought you had grown up Jake Doyle."

"The...uh... place was ransacked earlier. You know, by the cops."

She smacked him playfully on the chest not believing him for a second, she knew him too well.

Jake went to a cupboard and took out a bottle of rum. "Rose and my father brought this back from their trip. I borrowed a bottle; they just wouldn't appreciate it like I do. They'd mix it or something along those lines." He poured a finger in each glass, handed one to her and kissed her softly. "To getting your job back and to us."

"To us and to new beginnings."

A/N: Leave a review if you stop by. I know there is not much ROD traffic but I hope there will be more in the future. Oh yeah!

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